Of Land

By Shelby Gragg and Tiffany Gragg

Awoken in a strange, yet familiar place with no memories, a young woman realizes that she must find the answers she seeks through the dangers and wonders that now inhabit the world she once knew.

Emerging from the remanence of a forgotten world, her body weakened and malnourished from the centuries of being asleep, she se

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shelby Gragg
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798990879812

Book preview

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Contents

Dedication

Copyrights

Prologue

1.Awakening

2.The Lonely Forest

3.All the Colors of the Sun

4.A Fateful Encounter

5.The First King

6.Spirit of the Fox

7.Harvest Festival

8.The Berserker & The Flame

9.An Oath to Keep

10.Tree of the Valley

11.The Powerless

12.Whispers of the Forest

13.A Loss in the Jungle

14.Twin City Atlon

15.A Tint of Orange

16.The Start of a Journey

17.Hills of Yoid

18.Night of the Wolf

19.The Stranger in a Strange World

20.Where the Water Meets the Land

Index

Acknowledgements

To those who wonder

To those who dream

To those who see the sunlight through the leaves

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders.

Psalms 65:8

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Copyright © 2024 by Shelby J. Gragg

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact [e-mail]

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by Tiffany L. Gragg

1st edition 2024

These are not stories of the past

but prophecies of the future.

Prologue

The large-horned creatures ambled around the grounds of the old forest, looking for plants, berries, or other tasty treats hidden beneath the undergrowth. They watched over the land and protected the balance of all those within their domain. While they searched for food, they listened to the trees and to the wind as it spoke to them in a language known only to those who knew how to listen for it. The forest whispered its secrets to the guardians as they continued through the lush green.

A small one who was new to the world lay protected in the grass and the tall weeds close to his mother. He was the first to be born in centuries, and with his birth, an era of change was among the land.

For when he was born, another quiet force, ancient and long forgotten, awoke from the depths.

1

Awakening

Ringing.

The kind of ringing that rattled her skull when she heard it, the kind of ringing that produced a headache almost immediately.

Constant, agonizing ringing.

Where is it coming from?

She discovered the sound's source when attempting to caress her head with her hand. The ringing became a sharp stabbing sensation that waved over the entirety of her skull. Her face scrunched up through the pain. With her eyes still closed and her mind slowly waking, she began to move.

Reluctantly, she held her right temple and pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand to see if the pressure would relieve some of the throbbing.

It didn’t.

She steadily opened her eyes, hoping the pain would recede. It was hard to see. She blinked a couple of times in an attempt to clear her vision. Everything was blurry. All she could make out were the colors of light and the dark silhouettes of the surrounding objects.

The girl looked up to see a small bright light shining down on her, illuminating the inside of a strange glass dome. Underneath her, a soft, blue jelly-like lining covered the surface, with a few thick, wiry strings extending outward from the dome.

The dome fit her almost perfectly, except for the fact that it was built for someone a little taller, with a couple of inches extending past her feet. The girl tried to calm, tried to steady her breathing so that her eyesight could adjust and her mind could focus on getting her out of the small, enclosed tomb.

Once the pain had receded a bit, she pressed her palms on the cool smooth glass that laid above her. The girl realized that when she gently pushed it, the glass popped open with a click of the latch and a hiss of stale air, as if it had been politely waiting to be opened the whole time.

Still confused, and with a spinning head and a nauseous stomach, she sat up in the darkness.

Her dome’s light lit up a small area for her, lighting the debris, broken glass and metal bobbles, rocks, and concrete blocks with metal sticking out of it at odd angles.

Another dome, just like her own, was crumpled inward next to her, with no sign of the culprit.

I wonder if anyone I knew was in it.

The girl had felt familiarity in all the things she had seen, but whenever she thought deeper into why she was there or even the simple question of what had happened, her brain pulsed in tune with her heart. Even through the pain, she felt the aching of sadness and loneliness creep up on her.

She looked down at her clothes to see if what she was wearing would help jog her memory. She had on dark, tattered jeans with a brown belt to hold them up, a solid-colored tan t-shirt with black letters in the center of her chest, and black high top converse. The color had faded from them all, leaving them a shell of their once former vivid hues. Her fingers trailed across the characters printed on her lose tucked in shirt. A.R.K. marked her but feeling them did not help discover their unknown meaning, her memories and the meaning behind the letters were caught in a net like frenzied fish trying to escape their fate.

Attached to her arms were more small wiry strings that seemed to push a transparent red liquid through them. She grabbed at the fabric stuck limply to her skin and cautiously pulled the thin metal rod out of her arm, putting it on the side of the squishy blue jelly underneath her.

Her eyes had nearly adjusted completely now. Looking back down towards the small light and to where she had been sleeping, she noticed the thicker wiry strings trail from the light, past a set of raised colored bumps and a glowing metal tablet, then down through a pile of boulders that glowed with an orange-red light.

Internally, the girl pleaded that the collapsed area was not the way out and she continued to look around, noticing another light. However, it wasn't the glow of a machine, but rather the glow of distant sunlight. Reluctantly, she made an attempt to place her legs over the side of the dome, but their weakness caused them to move sluggishly. She noticed how emaciated they were, only to look at her arms and see they were just as skeletal. Feeling her bony face, she realized that, in the dome, her body had diminished greatly from the lack of use and nutrients. The girl put her hands on the blue jelly substance and lifted herself out. When she put her full body weight onto her legs, she crumpled to the ground like a lifeless corpse.

She grunted as she hit the cold, hard stone.

For a moment, the girl simply laid there, sapped of energy. It was hard, but she pulled herself up to a shaky stand. Her legs wobbled as she braced herself on the side of the dome to make sure she wouldn’t collapse again. After feeling more confident in her abilities, she walked. She could feel the blood tingling down her legs, sending pins and needles to her feet.

Mindful of the glass and other sharp objects on the surrounding ground, she made her way toward the sunlight, using the nearest chunks of rock to help hold herself up.

The girl edged her way toward the destroyed dome next to her own. She concluded that it was already empty when someone smashed it. She looked inside the broken glass roof, only to find no evidence of a living person. With a sigh of relief, she turned and went towards the small, orange light where the thick strings ran under the rocks. Kneeling down carefully, she looked in the small hole and saw a machine making a low, humming noise. Believing it was wise to avoid the unknown, she rose with a slow pace. Her head was spinning, but with deep breaths she began towards the sunlight.

She made her own path through the catastrophe, working to get past the avalanche of rocks. She tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her dizziness made it hard to concentrate on anything. The girl stumbled, her hands catching her before she fell. She sucked in a rapid breath of the damp, moldy air. Looking at her now red and skinned palms, the girl got back up and wiped her hands on her jeans as she unsteadily climbed over the rocks and cement.

When she got around the largest part of the debris, there was a little section to sit for a moment and gather strength from her rock-climbing experience. During her rest, the girl took in her surroundings. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to take in. The things she saw were identical to what she had seen moments ago. The only noticeable difference in this area was that it seemed like someone had already moved debris to create a more manageable path.

Someone was here? Are they still here?

She thought to herself, feeling anxious and eager.

After a quick pause, she decided to keep moving forward, and eventually got to the entrance where rays of sun glittered across the ground, beckoning for her to join it. The way out wasn’t difficult, but upon seeing it, she didn’t believe it to be the actual exit of the building. Something had demolished the entire side of the building, leaving a giant gaping hole littered with rocks, cement, and green leafy overgrowth.

Lucky me. The girl thought as she worked her way over it.

The easiest way to get out was a giant tree, blended seamlessly into the side of the building, its roots twisted and broken into the rock.

She saw her hope for escape and kept going.

At first, she believed her imagination or lightheadedness caused her to hear rustling, which could have been tricks of the mind, especially considering the state she was in. However, in her peripherals, she felt as though she could see something moving into the darkness as she passed.

The best course of action, she thought, was to ignore it and to leave as fast as possible. If she could reach the entrance, she would be okay. Reassuring herself, she looked at the natural light, tinted with a green glow that beckoned her towards its haven.

As she hiked over and around the debris, she could feel eyes on her. She knew she was being watched, but by what was the question.

Her anxiety swelled. She sped up her pace but fumbled, awkwardly losing her balance. As her heartbeat rose, her head spun and her stomach twisted until she could hardly walk without the world softly swaying. In the building's mouth, the tree that made its home along the crumbling edges of the entrance, its roots flowing down into the cave like a waterfall.

The girl grabbed the bottom roots of the magnificent evergreen to steady herself just as her vision doubled. She noticed that the roots were damp from the morning dew.

The need to escape the dark cave grew more intense with every step she took closer to the light.

She had climbed only a little way when a rusty groan crawled up from behind her. Her hands slipped down the wet roots of the tree bark, and for a moment, there was only air and the space between her and the wild pounding of her heart against her ribcage.

Her breath was beaten from her lungs as her back smacked against the rocky cave floor. Rolling over on her side, the girl stifled her small cry of pain. Warm blood flowed from a thin gash on her arm and dripped off the palm of her hand as she clasped it to her chest. She folded over, her knees to her stomach, and focused on the beat of her heart and the burn in her fingers.

And finally, the girl snapped.

Holding herself in a tight ball, she cried quietly to herself. The terror of the dark stifling her from releasing the emotion she that pent inside her chest.

She cried for as long as she could, letting the tears wash the dirt away from her face in small streaks, and her throat began to ache from crying for so long.

The pain receded from her head as she thought about the people she did not remember and about all the things that eluded her.

Is this really happening? Am I dreaming?

So many other questions raced through her mind, hopping from reason to reason.

Her eyes closed, heavy from releasing all of her emotions simultaneously. She had given up. Shakily, she laid on the ground.

The girl did not know how long she had been laying there, but after a while, she opened her eyes and sat up. Using her shirt to wipe off the excess amount of smeared blood that covered the fresh cut, which had turned into a dull pain.

The girl heard the groaning again, then looked for where she thought they would be. Looking back the way she came, nothing stood out to her, but turning to the left was another section that she had not come from. The girl reluctantly got up to see if this was where the sounds were coming from. She slowly looked past the corner into the darkness and heard more than one source for the strange noises.

She squinted her eyes and saw something terrible.

A section of the fallen building jailed them.

Some were dead, others deformed and darkened like shadows of what they once were.

Humans.

Some of their heads had morphed and intertwined with various plants or fungi. Others were as dark as the walls of the cave they were trapped by, and she could only see their bodiless shadows. The rest were a confounding mass of deformed fangs, horns, bumps and thorns, the stench of death and mold, gagging her.

The girl covered her mouth and nose with her hands.

She looked down at her feet and could see the crushed bones of the dead underneath her. She stifled a terrified cry once more.

The girl frantically backed away from the corner.

They had not seen her yet.

The frantic girl shuffled backward, her feet brushing past small rocks and pieces of metal and glass. Her body flushed with heat and sweat beaded on her forehead in the intensity of the moment. Her eyes stayed pinned to the corner, unblinking as her mind begged her to not look away from the sleeping peril that had laid before her.

Once the girl felt the thick tree roots press up against her back, she grabbed at them, her fingers trembling. Intertwining her fingers into the roots, she stared into the darkness for a moment longer before facing the sunlight above her. Tears brimmed her eyes and her back ached with terror as her body screamed at her for facing away from the existing danger.

The girl started back up the roots of the ancient tree.

This time she was more careful with her footing, digging the tip of her shoe in between the steady roots and the rocky wall. However, adrenaline quickened her pace as her body leaned naturally towards the beckoning light. She reached the top. Gripping onto the last bit of the edge, her fingers dug past rocks and dirt filled her fingernails when she pulled herself up out of the basement of the devastated building.

With little strength remaining, she awkwardly flopped up and rolled away from the entrance. Keeping the mouth of the cave in her line of sight, the girl escaped. She lay on the plush pillow of grass, her eyes closed with the sunlight warming her eyelids and her clothes damp from the dew. She imagined herself emerging from the cave like an evil that seeped out of the shadows. Her decrepit and now bloodied body resembling the monsters below, making her wonder if there was any difference between herself and them.

The girl looked around the area. She was in a small field of tall swaying weeds, with chunks of rocks jutting out that she thought might have been a part of the building once, overgrown with trees and flowers further out. She looked back towards where she had emerged and she saw the spread out, gnarled roots of the tree slicing an opening at the rock. The letters ‘ESIS’ broken apart and scattered among the rocks and tall grass.

Her head throbbed once more as memories swam just past her grasp, trying desperately to fill the gaps in her mind. She looked away from the old crumbling building, now just a prison for those poor creatures.

Around her were temperate trees of all varieties and sizes with lush greens, a crisp, clear sky and wildflowers sprouting everywhere. The sun shone through the leaves, and the wind blew morning shadows gently through the dancing trees.

She went over to the rocks protruding from the ground and touched the soft and plush moss that covered them. The girl sat down against it to rest, breathing in the forest’s life. Smelling the grass, the fresh air, and even the dirt, she took another deep breath while soaking in the sun’s rays against the warm rock. As the girl took in her surroundings, she basked in the sun’s natural light and realized she could not hear any animals. There were no birds chirping or the chittering of other small creatures. It was as if the forest was holding its breath.

Loneliness crept over her as she tried to remember anybody that she might have known before. Hopefully, she could find clues as she kept going.

The girl noticed a small path was across the field that led into the forest instead. This was the only clear path besides the one that would take her back into the building. She grimaced at the thought of returning to where she just had escaped.

The girl put her hand on the rock and hoisted herself up from the ground. Her leg had fallen asleep, and it took a couple awkward limps towards the trail until it felt awake again.

As she got closer to the little trail with the line of trees looming over her, the dense leaves of a large bush rustled near the edge of the forest. The girl stopped and hunched over in the shin high grass. She heard the rustling again, turning towards the bush. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for whatever it was to make the first move.

The rustling stopped as cautiously she took a step towards it. Suddenly, came the fearful screams of children.

Taken aback, she saw three figures rush out of the bushes and move toward the opening of the trail.

Are those… children?

Her mouth gaped for a moment.

She took a step and immediately became lightheaded again. She held out her hands for balance.

This can’t be right? They looked… weird.

The children were dressed in ragged solid-colored clothing, but most importantly, she noticed, one had small horns while another had a face like a dog with whiskers and a snout. She stood there, hesitant. One resembled a girl. She looked back, their eyes met.

Wait! She cried out when they took off.

But the small creature had fear plastered on her face as she ran faster to catch up with her group.

The little girl had fox ears, a fox tail with burning hazel eyes, and at the end of her dull-colored dress, she saw fox legs. As they vanished into the forest, the lonely girl laid back down and faced the scattered clouds and treetops with a tired huff.

2

The Lonely Forest

The sun reached its peak in the azure sky, and the heat was nice at first until it beat down harder on her, creating beads of sweat on the small of her back and under her matted hairline. She fidgeted uncomfortably as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. After a long rest by the mossy rock, she reached the tree line and spotted an entrance to the mysterious woods. The opening was decorated with two mangled oak trees guarding the entryway.

Behind the oak on the left, she peeked into the forest, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light under the shaded foliage. She could see the sunlight breaking through on the covered path, coaxing her in, making stepping stones of light on the ground. Ever so slowly, she made her way past nature’s gate and on her way.

Her stomach let out a disgruntled rumbling as it echoed its emptiness. As she thought about eating, her stomach responded with another louder gurgling. To draw herself away from her hunger, she looked around the forest trail, wondering if anyone was in earshot.

Maybe I can find some berries or mushrooms to eat.

Pfft, she laughed out loud and rolled her eyes. It was comical how little she knew about finding food in the wild. Just to be safe, she decided to steer clear of anything that might look suspicious.

In spite of her hunger, the girl continued to walk down the shaded path and deeper into the forest, where quiet life brimmed all around her. She could hear the birds from above and the chittering of other animals. Even though they weren’t in sight within the dense wood, she could still hear them communicating and buzzing with the news of the mysterious creature that walked about.

As she looked up, she could discern the different species of trees. Beautiful maple trees, towering pines, and sturdy oaks dotted her view. Farther off where the trees met the land, she could see deep purple wildflower patches scattered throughout. Around her walking trail, ferns and bushes mixed with tall colorful weeds.

The sweet aroma of pine, wildflower, and fresh forest air was a relaxing presence. She breathed deeply and noticed the crunching leaves under her feet. Her thoughts trailed back to the ruined building and those disturbing creatures shuffling in the dark. The girl overcame her fear after the terrifying events of her mysterious past. She turned her mind to more hopeful thoughts.

Like finding help.

The girl came to a fork in the trail. The left path jutted at a sharp angle, and the right path turned slightly the other way. For a moment, she stood there and looked towards the left.

This path doesn’t look too out of the ordinary.

Then looked straight forward to the right trail.

And this one looks no different either.

She shrugged and continued straight on the path to the right. She picked up her foot to continue walking on. Out of nowhere, a black snake with opalescent, shimmering green scales slithered its way out of the ferns and down the path.

Without hesitation, the girl instinctively twisted towards the left path instead.

I thought the left path was more appealing anyway.

It had been a while since she began her trek through the woods when she noticed a clearing ahead of her. As she walked closer, she heard a loud, crisp snap. Surprised, she looked down to discover the crumbled bones of skeletons. She picked